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We can help you book your perfect break to Tresco. We all live here, so it's our specialist subject!

Call us on +44 (0)1720 422 849 or email us.

By Helicopter - Direct to Tresco

By Helicopter - Direct to Tresco

Fly direct to Tresco with Penzance Helicopters - making the flight to the Isles of Scilly as memorable as the destination

Before you Arrive

Before you Arrive

Our pre-arrival checklist - from letting us know your travel plans to ordering your wine and groceries

Tresco Islandshare

Tresco Islandshare

Own a piece of this unique island, with 40 years of holidays on Tresco as more than just a visitor. Discover Islandshares for sale...

Tresco Offers & Breaks

Tresco Offers & Breaks

From seasonal escapes to wellness and creative breaks and last-minute offers, discover our latest offers & breaks on Tresco Island

Eating

Eating

From beachfront dining to our cosy inn, get a taste for island-inspired dining with a Tresco twist

Grocery

Grocery

Place a pre-arrival grocery order and we'll deliver to your accommodation on your arrival

Events & Experiences

Events & Experiences

From the Low Tide Event to live music, Abbey Garden Theatre and more, discover extraordinary events on the Isles of Scilly

Day Trips to Tresco

Day Trips to Tresco

Whether you're coming from elsewhere on Scilly, or further afield in Devon or Cornwall, a day trip to Tresco is the perfect day out

Tresco Abbey Garden

A glorious exception, a perennial Kew without the glass, Tresco Abbey Garden is home to plants from every Mediterranean climate zone, flourishing just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall.

Founded in the 19th century by Augustus Smith around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey, the garden is now a sanctuary for over 2,000 exotic species from the southern hemisphere and subtropics - from Brazil to New Zealand, Myanmar to South Africa.

Set against the backdrop of a tiny Atlantic island, the garden dazzles with its unexpected lushness: towering palms, flame trees ablaze in lipstick red, and an ever-changing display of rare and radiant plants.

Wander among King Protea and Lobster Claw, the great blue spires of Echium, brilliant Furcraea, Strelitzia, and shocking-pink drifts of Pelargonium. A network of paths crisscrosses this subtropical wonderland, inviting discovery at every turn.

The garden transforms with the seasons: spring blooms weeks ahead of the mainland; autumn cloaks the landscape in golds, ambers, and fiery reds; even in midwinter, around 300 species remain in glorious bloom.

And it’s not just the flora that captivates. Spot red squirrels and golden pheasants roaming freely, encounter striking sculptures in quiet glades, and explore haunting echoes of Scilly's maritime history in the atmospheric Valhalla Figurehead Museum.

Opening Hours

Current HoursFrom 1st November
Garden10am - 4pm daily (last entry 3:15pm)10am - 4pm daily (last entry 3:15pm)
Café & Shop10am - 4pm dailyClosed

Plan Your Visit

There's no need to book, and it's easy to get here from across the islands and even from the mainland.

Tresco Island Abbey Gardens History 960x540 4

History of the Abbey Garden

In 1834, Augustus Smith left Hertfordshire and took up residence on the Isles of Scilly as Lord Proprietor and leaseholder of all the islands. He chose to live on Tresco and selected a site adjacent to St Nicholas Priory - which had fallen into disrepair in the sixteenth century - to build his home...

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Scholarships & Bursaries

The Abbey Garden is an incredible place for horticultural students to gain invaluable experience. Garden curator Mike Nelhams is involved with various scholarships and bursaries which can help students gain placement in this prestigious botanical site.

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Great Gardens of Cornwall celebrate 30 years

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Stay on Tresco

Winter and Festive breaks are not always available to book online - for cottage stays or New Inn breaks over the winter months please go to Winter on Tresco or call 01720 422849.

Or call +44 (0)1720 422 849